My Country Paradise
by Emfaith
Summary: Meet Alli- shy and seemingly forgotten she wanders through life. Watching people at school, at church she longs for something that they have. Something special and inseparable. She wants someone to give her a chance. When its least expected, someone does.
1. Chapter 1

_Chapter 1_

No one knows my name. No one seems to even notice I exist-but I do. My name is Alli Owens. I have thin dirty blond hair that hangs at my shoulders. My hair isn't perfect like everyone else's-it's short and choppy. Not to mention I'm slightly over-weight, I don't play any sports, and I'm just straight out self-conscious. Welcome to my life. What I didn't know was that it was all about to change.

My alarm clock rang out like a dying buzzard, shaking me unwillingly from my slumber. It was 6:15- too early. The only thing that convinced me to get up was that it was the last day of school. Meaning it was my last day of misery.

"Alli! Are you up and ready for your last day of high school?" My mother, a middle-aged, social woman with thin hair like mine called from down the stairs.

"Ready as I'll ever be," I grumbled in reply. I swung my feet over my queen sized bed and drug myself to the bathroom. Slipping into the shower, I thought about the day ahead of me. It would probably consist of me walking around with my head down, and smiling away like I was so happy to be there. And truthfully, I wasn't. I had grown sick of trying to please everyone. All I really wanted to please now was God. I had given up on this world. I shook myself back into reality and finished getting ready for school. I wore a t-shirt and worn tennis shoes that I was embarrassed about, but their seemed to be nothing I could do about it. I jogged down the stairs to be greeted by my hyper younger sister, Joy. The freckle-faced eighth grader was just like her mother-social. She looked at me speculatively through large hazel eyes.

"You're wearing _that_ on your last day of school?"

"Yeah, what's the big occasion?" I asked as I shrugged my shoulders and quickly grabbed a banana. Way to raise my self-confidence. I waved Joy over to the door.

"Come on, we're going to be late to my last day of school," I said sarcastically and she rolled her eyes. I opened the door and she marched out ahead of me.

"When it's _my _last day of high school it's going to be so much more special than yours." I groaned and hurried her into the car, my small Honda.

"Enough about your glory days, Joy."

"Whatever."

A few minutes later, after I had dropped Joy off at the middle school, I pulled into the Norman High School parking lot.

"Here we go." I sighed, quickly finishing up my half eaten banana. I turned off the car and slowly got out, hauling my large backpack out of the back seat. Heading towards the entrance, I watched as best friends gossiped in tight circles, and couples held hands lovingly. If anyone neared me, I quickly looked down unable to hold anyone's gaze. How could it be that I was so shy here, but so not shy at home?

The rest of my day passed uneventfully. I came home, greeted by my oldest sister, Alyssa, a sophomore in college. She had short brown smooth hair with cute hazel eyes, just like mine and Joy's.

"How was your last day of high school?" she asked in mock excitement. I slipped my backpack off my shoulders and looked at Alyssa.

"Fine," I shrugged. Joy came in the door after me.

"Guess what? My day was great! We had a yearbook party and _everyone_ signed mine," she waved the yearbook in front of our faces, revealing the scribbles of at least a hundred kid's names. I merely gazed at them and then headed to the kitchen where my mom was busy baking something. The aroma wafted through the air towards me.

"What are you making?" I asked curiously. My Mom wasn't much of a baker so there must be some occasion.

"Well," she said slowly, catching my full attention, "You're going to spending the summer at your aunts and she'll be coming by to pick you all up." My eyes widened in surprise. The whole summer?

"Why are you just now telling me about this Mom?" I nearly growled. She looked at me innocently.

"I thought you would happy." I gave her a last annoyed glance before heading up to my room to pack. This was ridiculous. I had never been to my aunts before and wasn't exactly excited about going now. Aunt Darcy lived out in the middle of no where! Was she trying to isolate us? I stuffed nearly all my summer wardrobe into my suitcase, grabbing other necessities along the way. This was going to be one eventful summer. Boy, did I have no idea.


	2. Chapter 2

_Chapter 2_

Looking out the window, I watched as cows munched lazily on tall brown grass and horses nickered playfully among each other. It would be great to ride a horse, my very own horse. I imagined a black stallion cantering along a worn fence with me on its back, my hair blowing lazily in the wind. Joy broke me from my daydream.

"Where do you live anyway?" she asked Aunt Darcy loudly. The petite, brown-haired woman with a kind face glanced back at Joy.

"Well, I live in Ratliff City."

"Never heard of it," Joy said matter-of-factly. I looked at her and smirked. She met my smirk with a fake smile. I shook my head and looked to Alyssa who rode shotgun. She had her headphones in and was bopping her head in rhythm to the beat of her music. Alyssa seemed in her own little world so I decided not to bother her.

"There's a cute guy who lives there who is your age, Alli," Aunt Darcy said teasingly.

"Ah," I said in mock speculation, "What does he look like?"

"You'll find out soon enough," Aunt Darcy said no doubt to peak my curiosity. It worked. I tried to imagine all the possibilities- brown hair, blue eyes. Blonde hair, brown eyes. Black hair, blue eyes. As I considered all the possibilities we pulled into a long driveway.

"This is it," Aunt Darcy spoke happily as Joy stared out the window in awe. We followed a long winding gravel driveway to a small farmhouse. There was a wild pasture, with wildflowers dotting it sporadically. About a dozen black cows swished their tails and lifted their heads as we approached.

"Are those your cows?" Joy asked.

"More like your Uncle Rob's," Aunt Darcy replied.

"Cool…" The car slowed to a stop and we all piled out quickly, grabbing our luggage from the back of the car.

"Hey Alli," Aunt Darcy looked at me and pointed to a large red truck parked towards the rear of the house, "Looks like you get to meet that cute boy I was telling you about."

"Oh no," I groaned inwardly and marched towards the house. Stepping inside, I took it all in. The living room was in front of me, comfy-looking leather couches were placed strategically around the room and a large TV hung over the mantle. The living room opened into the kitchen which included a small table and a breakfast bar with swiveling stools. The living room out of the hallway led to three bedrooms, I placed my bag in the middle room, a small room with a twin sized bed covered in a hand-made quilt. I returned to the kitchen which led to Aunt Darcy and Uncle Rob's room and the rest of the house. Joy and Alyssa joined me in the kitchen.

"Pretty cool, huh?" Alyssa said coolly. I nodded in reply. Joy was over at the rear of the house, glancing out the window.

"Uncle Rob's out here." Alyssa and I walked over to her and out the back door to greet our uncle. When Uncle Rob saw us, the white haired, tall man waved and flashed a big, giddy smile.

"Hey girls!" he said, his voice just a bit rusty. We rushed to greet him and gave him a big hug like we were the five year olds we used to be again. I pulled away abruptly to glance at the boy standing behind him. He had short spiked black hair, deep brown eyes that I could melt in, and a gorgeous smile that made me stare. Uncle Rob noticed I had spotted him and he cleared his throat to gain my attention.

"This is Andrew. Andrew, this is Alyssa, Joy, and Alli." Uncle Rob gestured to each of us as he said our name. I looked down when Andrew glanced at me a little longer than usual.

"Hey," he said coolly, flashing a half wave our way and smiling brightly. His eyes sparkled. Why was I already noticing these things? Uncle Rob paused awkwardly before speaking a little too loudly.

"Well, I've got to be off to work. Andrew will be here the rest of the day, so if you need anything I'm sure he can help you out."

"I'll try my best." Andrew spoke in a rich southern accent, but not too over the top like most people who lived in the country. He nodded his head to Uncle Rob and looked back at us.

"Well," Alyssa said slowly, "Jake wanted me to call him as soon as I got here so…I got to go." Jake was Alyssa's boyfriend, a little over possessive if you ask me. I hadn't seen much of my sister since she started dating him. I groaned, too loudly judging by the concerned look Andrew sent me. I smiled uncertainly his way and he smiled in return, seemingly assured about whatever he was confused about. Joy looked from me to him mischievously.

"I have some…stuff to do," she said, her voice giving away that she was lying. I flashed a confused glance her way, but she pretended not to notice. She turned and walked back into the house leaving me and Andrew alone. Andrew took a step closer and I looked down awkwardly.

"So, where are you from?" he asked, genuinely curious.

"I was born in Indiana, but I moved to Norman six years ago," I said softly, my voice faltering. When he didn't speak right away I wondered if he even heard me. I looked up into his deep brown eyes. He was staring right back at me, eyes softened into some expression I couldn't quite catch before he spoke again.

"That's exciting. I bet you're going to miss all your friends while you're here," he spoke, concerned.

"Friends?"

"Yeah, your friends, you know, from school?" his brows wrinkled in confusion.

"Oh…yeah," I said, lying through my teeth. My face heated in embarrassment and I looked away, pretending to look for something. I don't have any friends. Why was he still talking to me? No one had ever tried to continue conversation with me this long! I was a lost cause.

"How about I show you around?" he offered kindly, gesturing to a green gator, pretty much a small truck used for hauling stuff around land.

"Sure." I said, forcing my voice to sound bright. I followed him to the gator and climbed into the passenger seat. I looked at him and waited for him to start the engine. That's when he did something totally unexpected.

**Review Please! I would love to hear thoughts and ideas.**


	3. Chapter 3

Andrew stared at me, almost longingly, for a moment before moving towards me. I shied away and he reached his hand over and took mine tenderly in his. My face heated and I tried to pull away but his grip just tightened.

"Alli…Alli, I just- I wanted to tell you that I think you're a really great person." What? He didn't even know me. What made him think this?

"Your aunt has told me a lot about you; I can tell you're a really great girl. You know…different," he stated- confidently now. My head snapped up and I studied him for a few seconds. His expression was soft, gentle, like no other expression I'd seen before. He seemed genuinely serious.

"But…what makes me so special?" My voice weakened as I said the word special. I lost all confidence once more and looked down. He surprised me again by lifting my chin with his index finger. I peered up at him slowly. He flashed a silly smile, wiggling his brows at me. I couldn't help but burst into uncontrollable laughter.

"You'll find out soon enough," he said prophetically. I couldn't take him serious and I laughed more.

"Now, back to what we were originally doing- the tour." He actually started the gator this time and pulled out into a large pasture. I was more interested in him, than the tour at that moment so I glanced at him curiously.

"Whatcha looking at?" he asked jokingly. I quickly looked away and glanced at the trail in front of us; filled with bumps and potholes, the gator jerked like a ship out at sea in a tropical storm.

"Ladies and gentleman, er lady! Please keep your hands and feet and nose and eyes and ears and all other body parts inside the vehicle at all times," Andrew announced loudly, smiling. I laughed quickly, already seeming to loosen up with him. We came to a cluster of trees and he entered in between them slowly. With a quick jolt, the gator stopped and he shut off the engine.

"What are we doing?" I asked, curiosity temporarily overtaking my shy nature. He looked at me, pointed to a cluster of cows lying lazily among the trees, and spoke happily.

"Now for the fun part." My mind began to whirl at all the endless possibilities when he approached me from my side of the gator.

"My lady." He bowed, putting his left hand behind his back and offering me his right. I blushed, of course, and allowed him to assist me down from the gator. He nodded curtly and released my hand. The disappointment that went through me in waves surprised me and I mentally scolded myself for falling for him so quickly.

"Do you like animals?" I debated what to say for a moment before speaking.

"More like love," I said cheerfully. Animals were my refuge; they seemed to understand me.

"Really?" he looked pleased to have something in common with me. I nodded and he led me closer towards the cows.

"Rob asked me to check on the cows for him everyday. All the cows are expecting and this hot weather makes him worry," Andrew explained why we were here, "So I could use some help if you don't mind." I shook my head quickly and stepped closer to him, uncomfortable by the bull who was eyeing me steadily. Andrew noticed me and spoke up.

"Don't worry, he may look tough but he's really just a soft-hearted puppy." He laughed as if he was reminiscing about something. I nodded and proceeded towards the cow Andrew was glancing at.

"That's Lilly. I've been worried about her. She hasn't been doing well." My heart got heavy with worry and I knelt down next to her, stroking her neck softly.

"Hi Lilly," I whispered softly in her ear. The cow watched me carefully, and then extended her snout to sniff my hand.

"She likes you." Andrew's voice came from behind me and I nearly jumped. I had forgotten he was there.

"Easy," he said, laying a hand on my back and giving me a reassuring pat. I turned my head to look at him. He noticed me looking and knelt down next to me, taking my hand in his and pressing it to the cow's large belly.

"Feel that? That's her baby moving around in there." Andrew whispered in my air and a tingling feeling passed through my spine. I took in an abrupt breath of air as I felt the movement beneath my fingertips. I looked down, amazed.

"When is she due?" I asked quietly.  
>"Any day now." Andrew released my hand and began gently massaging the cow's neck. Lily's tense body relaxed and her eyes fluttered closed.<p>

"Wow. You're- you're amazing," I remarked in awe. He shook his head.

"Naw. I'm nothing special." I sure thought he was, but I didn't say it aloud. Night was falling and I yawned, my eyes growing heavy with sleep. Andrew caught on instantly.

"Hey, we should get you back. You look exhausted." I protested quickly, "But you haven't finished checking on the cows. What if one of them is sick?" My breath came in quick pants. His face softened with worry, but I had a feeling it wasn't about the cows.

"How about I get you inside and then come straight back here to check on them," he offered. I thought for a minute, and then nodded.

"Okay." He looked pleased and I smiled up at him. Andrew helped me into the gator then drove back to Aunt Darcy's home. I entered the house to be greeted by Aunt Darcy.

"Did you have fun Alli?" She looked from me to Andrew, smiling widely.

"Yeah, um, we went to check on the cows," I said before she could get to ahead of herself. Her eyes flashed with disappointment, but it was gone before I could think much about it. Andrew pointed towards the door.

"Well, I've got to finish checking on the cows," he said to Aunt Darcy and then looked at me, "Goodnight Alli." His voice softened and I nearly lost it there. He was so handsome. Every time Andrew looked at me, I was certain I was dreaming. I managed a weak smile and receded to my room. Joy and Alyssa bounded into the room right after me, like toddlers excited to hear their bed time story.

"So, how'd it go?" Alyssa smiled, raising her eyebrows. I shoved her playfully.

"How'd what go?" I answered, faking confusion.

"We saw it Alli," Joy burst out, "We saw him hold your hand." Alyssa groaned.

"Joy, we were going to let _Alli_ tell us…remember?" Joy's face dimmed.

"Oh…yeah." I watched them closely.

"Well, I'm telling you, _nothing_ happened."

"Liar!" Joy shouted.

"Whatever."

"Liar. Liar. Liar," she repeated annoyingly. I shooed them away with my hands.

"Go away. I'm tired." I pretended to yawn. Alyssa watched me speculatively.

"You're faking it. But, I'm going to go anyways and be a good sister." She smiled at me angelically. I shooed her out once more and Joy followed Alyssa out the door. Sighing, I dropped down onto the bed and lay there. _Andrew. Andrew. Andrew. _Ugh, I couldn't stop thinking about him. I closed my eyes tightly and attempted to force him from my mind. _Andrew. Andrew. Andrew._


	4. Chapter 4

The next morning I woke up to the sound of cows mooing and the familiar voice of someone yelling out to them, "Yah!" That familiar voice was Andrew and my heart leaped at the sound of his voice. With my heart still thudding loudly in my chest I raced to the bathroom to get ready. Throwing on a light blue t-shirt and jean shorts, I brushed my teeth and my hair before heading towards the kitchen. Aunt Darcy smiled when she saw me and motioned to the bar.

"I made you all breakfast." I looked at the crisp bacon and fluffy pancakes before looking back at her.

"Thanks. It looks great!" Joy was already up and she had filled her plate with nearly burnt bacon and warm pancakes.

"Yuck," I said in mock disgust, "how can you eat that stuff?"

She grinned before responding, "At least I don't like half-cooked bacon like you."

"My kind of bacon is the best," I responded matter-of-factly, grabbing a few under cooked bacon for myself. I finished the rest of my breakfast quickly and then headed outside. Andrew was a little ways out in the pasture herding cows towards the barn. The warm morning rays hit his face softly and I looked at him in awe. He faced the house and his face lit up further when he saw me. He waved me over in big motions with his hands.

"Come on Alli!" he shouted cheerfully. I smiled and then did as he said. The tall, dead grass crunched loudly under my feet as I approached him.

"Good morning Alli," he said brightly, pulling me into a warm hug. I hugged him back before quickly pulling away.

"Are you up for some fun?" I nodded eagerly and waited for further instruction.

"Well, what I'm trying to do here is heard all the cattle into the barn before it gets too hot. The barn stays much cooler than it would be out here. So, are you still sure you want to help?" he laughed. I nodded again.

"Definitely."

"Here we go!" Andrew rushed to the left side of the cows as they began spreading apart.

"Take that side!" he yelled from the other side of the pasture and I moved to the right, spreading out my arms and yelling as I'd heard him do. The cows mooed loudly and moved closer together.

"Okay, now we're going to go to the back and herd them straight into the barn." I nodded and come around behind the cows. They looked at me wildly and I began yelling and waving my arms to herd them forward. It worked and after a few more minutes we had successfully moved them into the barn. Andrew and I were out of breath and I was pretty sure I was going to loose my voice from yelling so loud. We both walked into the large barn and watched the cows munch on the hay at their feet.

"You're not as quiet as I thought you were," Andrew said teasingly.

I pushed him into the hay and he laughed loudly, "Nor as nice." I began backing away, but he grabbed my arm and pulled me down into the hay next to him.

"Hey!" I protested, "You're not so nice yourself."

He pretended to be hurt, "Me? Not nice?" I giggled and looked at him. He was smiling sweetly. I nearly fell into a trance. A lock of hair fell into my face and he reached over and tenderly tucked it behind my ear. I blushed and looked down at the hay.

"Hey," he said quietly, lifting my chin up to look at him, "you know you don't have to be shy around me. I won't bite."

"Are you sure about that?" He snapped his teeth together and growled.

"Maybe, maybe not." I laughed. His expression softened again.

"You know, I've never met anyone like you." I tried to forget about being shy and put what I thought out there.

I responded with what my heart told me to say, "I've never met anyone like you either." He smiled at that, a sweet, warm smile that made my heart melt.

"Do you think you could come over for lunch? My mother really wants to meet you," Andrew asked, his eyes pleading.

"Meet me?"

"Yes, Alli. You."

"But why?"

"Because I told her that I really like you." My heart stopped and I was almost certain I would pass out.

I started speaking slowly, "You like…me?" He laughed as if it were silliness that I asked that question. I didn't think it was so funny and I glared at him. He caught my glare and stopped laughing.

"I told you I thought you were special, didn't I?"

"Well…yeah." I still was confused and he obviously caught on, because he continued.

"Well, spending all day with you yesterday and some more time today, I figured out that I really, really like you. And my mom… she's always taught me to share my feeling, so I am." He looked at me, as if begging me not to break his heart.

"Hey Andrew," I said quietly, "I'll come."


End file.
